Flexible blind structure



c. BAUER FLEXIBLE BLIND STRUCTURE Filed May 10, 1930 INVENTOR Patented June 6, 1933 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE CONRAD BAUER, OF MOUNT OLIVER, PENNSYLVANIA FLEXIBLE BLIND STRUCTURE Application filed. May 10, 1930. [Serial No. 451,251.

sembled in interfitted relation so as to provide a tight closure impervious to rain or sunlight or the slats may be spaced apart to freely.

admit light and air.

For this purpose I employ connector plates attached to the face of the slats and which are provided at one vertical end with a trunnion and at the other vertical end with a bearing in which the trunnion of the adjacent slat is journaled, the fit of the trunnion in its bearing being loose enough to ermit relative vertical movement between a jacent slats so that the slats may be brought into snug en- 5 gagement or may be allowed'to spread apart.

The adjacent edges of the slats are preferably provided with tongues and grooves so that the slats may inter t to provide a tight jointure between the slats when they brought into juxtaposition.

- Other novel features of construction, and also'of arrangement of parts are set forth in the accompanying description.

In the accompanying drawing wherein I p are have illustrated a practical embodiment of the principles of my invention, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing in side elevation my improved blind structure indicated as suspended from a roller and having 1ts edge engaging a channel guide.

Fig. 2 is a broken elevation-looking fromthe inside of the window and showing the character of connection between the slats.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section tal en along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2 and showing the slats spread apart as they are in F g. 2.

Fig. 4 is a. view similarto Flg. 3, but showin the slats crowded together.

Fig. 5 is a detail in sectlon taken along the line 5-4 in Fig. 2.

which the bar 9 rests when the blind is fully Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showmg a modification in the blind structure.

Fig. 7 is an elevation taken from the inside of the window and showing the blind structureillustrated in Fig. 6. Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive of the drawing, 1 represents a horizontal-1y disposed roller which is journaled in the WlIl-' dow frame above the window openin in the usual manner in which flexible blind rollers are mounted in the window frame made to receive such blinds. Such rollers are well known in the art.

I have shown the roller provided with a sprocket 2 over which runs the operating chain 3 by means of which the blind may be raised and lowered. The blind is rolled on the roller 1 and is raised and lowered by r0- tating the roller in the proper direction. The blind is composed of slats 4 whose edges move in the usual channel guides 5, one of which is provided at each side of the window frame. These guides may be pivotally mounted at their upper ends as on the bolts 6 so that they may be swung outwardly to dispose the blind 1n 0. downwardly and outwardly inclined position. This also is old "in the art. The slats 4 are provided on their lower edges with grooves 7 and their upper edges with tongues 8-which fit said grooves when the slats are 0 brought closely together, thus providing a jointure which is impervious to the passage of sunlight or rain. The slats are preferably made of wood. At the lower end of the blind a bar 9., also usually of wood, is suspended from the lower slat. This bar forms the lower portion of the blindand also acts as a weight to spread the slats apart when the bar is suspended without support from below. The guides 5 are usually connected together at their bottoms by the base bar 10 upon lowered relative to the guide.

' Attached to the .faces of the slats 4 in two vertical rows, one near each end, are the connector plates 11. In the figures now under discussion these plates are attached to the inner faces of the slats so as not to appear on the outside ofthe building. The plates art 0 attached to the slats in a permanent manner as by means of the rivets 12.

The plates 11 may be stamped of fiat metal of any suitable character and are cut away at the lower ends at the center to form the opening 13 bounded on either side by the tongues 14. The inner surfaces of the slats are cut away at thelower edge to form a recess 15 which extends somewhat farther up 1 beyond the top edge of the opening 13. The

cuate cross sectional form as shown at the top of Figs. 2 and 3. The metal of the central portion of the tongue 14 is also preferably pressed outwardly as at 18 to add strength. When the slats are assembled the trunnion 17 occupies the recess 15 of the next slat above, the neck 16 extending through the opening 13 with suflicient looseness to prevent binding. The neck 16 is long enough to permit a slat to drop down below the slat next above, as shownin Figs. 2 and 3, so that a space or opening will be formed between adjacent slats. The recess 15 is of sufficient height so that the trunnion 17 may rise therein to permit the tongue 8 on the top end of the slat to move into snug engagement with the groove 7 on the bottom of the slat next'above, as illustrated in Fig. 4,thus permitting a tight jointure between the slats which will prevent the entrance of sunlight and rain. The 40 bottom bar 9 has attached to its inner face the connector plate 11a whose upper end is provided with a neck 16 and trunnion 17 which is similarly journaled in the bearing formed by the recess 15 and the bent up tongues 14 of the connector plates 11 riveted to the inner face of the lowermost slat 4. I Where my improved blind structure is to be applied to window frames which are not especially designed for such blinds, it would be an expensive and difficult job to conceal the rollers in the upper part of the window frame. In such case the rollers may be placed on the outside of the building above the window opening and the blind is then wound on the roller in the opposite direction from that illustrated in Fig. 1, the blind depending from the inside of the roller instead of the outside as it is in Fig. 1. This modification I have illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7.

In such case the connector plates 11 are attached to the outside of the slats 4 and their position is reversed, the neck 16 and the trunnion 17 being at the bottom of the plate instead of the top as is the case in the pre- 6 ceding figure and the bearing formed by the opening 13 and the bent in tongues 14 being at the top of the plate. Instead of forming a recess in the outer face of the plate I may use for the purpose of the recess the horizontal groove 19 which is usually formed on the outer face of the slats 4 near their top edges for ornamental purposes, the ends of the tongues 14 being bent down into said grooves as illustrated at 20 in Fig. 6. Otherwise the structure is the same as in the preceding figurcs and its operation is similar.

It is apparent that when the blind is extended to its full length with the bar 9 rising on the base bar 10 the slats 4 will crowd down upon each other as illustrated in the lower portion of Fig. 1 and also in Fig. 4, thus being tightly joined together. By winding up the blind snugly on the roller 1 the bar 9 will be raised from the base bar 10 and thus the slats Will spread apart, owing to their weight and the weight of the bar 9, so that they will assume the spaced apart relation illustrated in the upper portion of Fig. l and also in Figs. 2 and 3. Thus the blind may be arranged to form either a close enclosure to prevent the entrance of sunlight or rain or may be arranged to permit the free entrance of air and light.

The necks 16 are bent inwardly toward the plane of the slats so as to prevent the tongues and trunnions binding in the recesses 15 and to permit the slats to hang fiat and in the same vertical plane. The plates 11 are preferably made of relatively stiff metal to avoid the binding of the necks.

The structure of my improved slatted blind is strong and durable. It is not subject to breakage or wear norare its parts subject to deterloration. The use of tapes or other continuous connectors is avoided by the substitutlon therefor of simple inexpensive, yet strong, durable and efficient metal elements.

What I claim is 1. In a flexible blind structure for rolling up on a roll including a series of horizontally disposed wooden slats, slat connections each conslstlng of a metal plate fixed to the side of the slat next the roll on which the blind is to be rolled and having a notch of even width throughout at its bottom edge and a T-shapcd tongue at its top edge adapted to extend through the notch of the next plate above with the arms of the T extending behind the sides of the plate next the notch, said slats being notched behind the plate notch to receive the head of the T, the slat notch being wider than the plate notch, said plate terminating at the top and bottom edges of the slat whereby the side of the slat opposite the plate is left bare.

2. In a flexible blind structure for rolling up on a roll including a series of horizontally disposed wooden slats, slat connections each consisting of a metal plate fixed to the side of the slat next the roll on which the .said slats being. notched behind the blind is to be rolledand havin a. notch of even width throughout at its ottom edge and a T-shaped tongue at its top edge adapted to extend through the notch of the next plate abovewith the arms of the T extending behind the sidesof the plate next the notch, p ate notch to receive the head of the T, the slat notch being wider than the plate notch, said plate terminating at the top and bottom edges of the slat whereby the side of the slat opposite the plate is left bare, said slats having their lower edges lon 'tudinall grooved and the plate having the ottom e ges at the 15 sides of the slat rebent to engage in the groove.

Signed at Mount Oliver, Pa., this 8th day of May,'1930.

e 1 CONRAD BAUER. 

